If this stuff IS legal (or not for that matter), where might I find some? (btw) I’m in Ca.
From http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe_faq.shtml#2
WHAT IS ABSINTHE?
Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is therefore traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Absinthe was once popular among artists and writers and was used by Van Gogh, Baudelaire, and Verlaine, to name a few. It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity. However, in the 1850’s, there began to be concern about the results of chronic use. Chronic use of absinthe was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, hyperexcitability, and hallucinations. This concern over the health effects of absinthe was amplified by the prevailing belief in Lamarckian theories of heredity. In other words, it was believed that any traits acquired by absinthists would be passed on to their children (1). Absinthe’s association with the bohemian lifestyle also worked to compound fears about its effects, much as has happened with marijuana in America. Absinthe was subsequently banned in many countries in the beginning of the 1900’s.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVE COMPONENT IN ABSINTHE?
This issue is not entirely resolved. Alcohol is definitely one main component. However, another candidate is the monoterpene, thujone, which which is considered a convulsant. Thujone’s mechanism of action is not known, although structural similarities between thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol (the active component in marijuana) have led some to hypothesize that both substances have the same site of action in the brain. Thujone makes up 40 to 90% (by weight) of the essence of wormwood, from which absinthe is made (2). Thus, thujone would appear to be a good candidate for a second active component in absinthe. Indeed, thujone has long been considered to be the neurotoxic cause of absinthism.
However, the direct evidence to support this idea is scant. Absinthe is 75% alcohol. Therefore, alcohol’s effects will limit the amount of thujone one can ingest. Quite simply, you can only drink a moderate amount of absinthe before you become very drunk from the alcohol. Thujone would have to be active at a very low dose or be present in high quantities in order to have any appreciable effect.
Some sites that address it’s legal status and effects:
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe_law.shtml
http://www.beyond-the-illusion.com/files/Mirrors/HyperReal-Archive/drugs/misc/FAQ-Absinthe
It’s a Liquor Try the liquor store. It’s anise flavored. Why would you think it was illegal?
(sigh) Did you just read the above post that Beatle researched so thoroughly? We’re not talking anise-flavoring here, but the FDA ban on the use of wormwood. Great stuff Beatle. Uh…the research, not the absinthe.
…send lawyers, guns, and money…
Warren ZevonIf you’re really curious about Absinthe(which isn’t obtainable in the US to the best of my knowledge) you could always buy some Pernod. It’s a french liquer, essentially the same thing as absinthe, but without the wormwood(as a result it’s not bitter(no absinthin) but other than that it’s about the same thing). I think it’s pretty good, but then again I like black licorice, and a large number of people apparently don’t.
Ever tried Uzo or maybe it’s ozo .It is a Greek liquor that tastes like anise and turns white when you add water.
It’s been years since I tended bar and I’ve given all my bartender manuals away.
Oh Bluepony You don’t realize how long it takes me to type. 
The medical effects of absinthe have been well documented and it has been proven that, in fact, absinthe does not make the heart grow stronger.
That’s ouzo, I think.
I’ve tried absinthe (my local pub sells it). It’s vaguely like a cross between pernod and blended whisky, tastes as strong as it sounds and, in the few times I’ve had it, hasn’t left me feeling any different than when I’ve had neat whisky. Nice, but at GB£4.50 (probably around US$6.75) for a shot I won’t be making a habit of it.
“You know you talk so hip man, you’re twisting my melon man,”
Crusoe Takes A Trip
Greek ouzo, French anisette, Italian anise liqueur, and Colombian aguar diente all have about the same flavor and all have no wormwood component. I have seen ouzo and anisette in liquor stores, but I’m not sure if there are any other anise-flavored liqours available in the U.S. BTW, aguar diente is a plum wine, but is flavored just like the others - sort of a licorice taste.
They ran an article in The Met - a Dallas alternative paper - about absinthe. Yes, it’s illegal, but the DEA’s really more worried about pot smoking chemo patients than the absinthe underground. There are recipes for it available on the web. I would strongly caution against it though, since wormwood isn’t exactly well-suited to human consumption.
I believe that absinthe was an ingredient in the original recipe for the Sazerac cocktail, the 19th century New Orleans variant on the Old Fashioned.
When absinthe was outlawed, a dash of Pernod took its place.
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a little water in he bottom of an Old Fashioned glass.
Add 3 or 4 ice cubes,
a twist of lemon peel
a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters
a dash of Pernod
3 ounces or so of good Bourbon.
Stir.
Uke
Real wormwood absinthe is once again being made. Hill’s Absinthe is made in the Czech Republic and exported by a British compnay. I don’t know if they sell absinthe in the US (or if they even can) but their website is eAbsinthe.com at http://www.absinth.co.uk/
I’ve actually had some homemade absinthe with small (minced garlic size) chunks of wormwood in it. Ick. It’s bitter enough before you chomp on a piece of the wood. Can’t say it affected me more than the 3 dry martinis, but they did use me as furniture (and took pictures!) later that evening, so perhaps there’s something to it. Thank God those days are behind me.
Sure, I’m all for moderation – as long as it’s not excessive.
Absinthe is legal in Spain (where it’s called “absenta”). It is not precisely a popular drink. You have to go out of your way to find it, and a lot of the people who do so are tourists looking for something that would be an illegal thrill in their home country.
I’ve tried the stuff. You get a two-ounce or so shot of it in a regular water glass and then you balance a fork on top of the glass with a sugar cube on top of the fork. You then drip water on top of the sugar cube until it dissolves into the absinthe in the glass, and you then fill up the about six-ounce glass with the water. It tastes like Pernod or ouzo. Drink about three of these and you are quite fucked up. Also, never chase absinthe with another sort of drink. I have suffered the consequences. Trust me on this one.
Note: The color can range from the previously-mentioned emerald green to dull-brownish yellow.
Absinthe is available in Barcelona at the Bar Marsella, the Bar L’Almirall, and the Bar Pastis, all well-known dives (so well-known and safe that they’re in the guidebooks now) in what used to be the red-light district. You can buy a bottle to take home for about twenty bucks at the Boqueria Market on the Ramblas. If it’s in your suitcase, the customs agents will have no idea.
Actually, if you ever make it to Barcelona, check out L’Almirall. It’s supposedly the oldest bar operating in Barcelona. They claim to have been in business since 1838, and they’ll give you free postcards with antique photos of people hanging out there. The bar itself (you know, where you sit) is carved out of some antique mahogany-type wood and is a piece of art, with decorative Art Nouveau carvings everywhere. Drinks are $2-4. It’s in Joaquim Costa Street to the left of the Ramblas, looking up on the map.
No, I don’t own an interest in the place.
I’ve tried the Czech absinthe, my parents brought a very small bottle (mini-bar size)as a souvenir. I don’t know if the stuff is illegal here in Finland, but perhaps it should.
The label was in Czech, so I didn’t even know what this greenish liquid was. So, naturally I drank it. Straight. It tasted VILE. And my preferred drink is a straight single-malt scotch (even cask strenght).
If someone wants to try absinthe, PLEASE follow Lawrence’s instructions. It can only taste better.
I remember reading an article in a men’s magazine (GQ? Esquire? Playboy?) a few months ago about this stuff. It is illegal in the U.S. and most of the world for the reasons that Beatle pointed out - too much like a narcotic, highly addictive, really fucks you up, has different effects on different people…
Anyway the article is about how it used to only be available in Central Europe (i.e. Bohemia) but now it’s a big fad in Britain because some guys found a loophole in the law and started importing it from the Czech Republic. It’s mainly popular for the same reasons Lawrence cites - it’s a new experience that no one really knows, etc. And it’s also mysterious. blah blah blah. Apparently it affects different people different ways - some people act like they’re high and start hallucinating, some people just get drunk, and some people will black out for extended periods and just act really really drunk. I have to admit, reading the article made me curious to try this stuff at least once.
Anyway, given the current zealousness of our own country’s anti-drug efforts (see: industrial hemp), the story concludes that it ain’t coming to the U.S. anytime soon.
The site at http://www.absinth.co.uk/ has some very excellent photos of a very drunk Leonardo DiCaprio looking like utter crap 
How old is he, anyway? I mean he looks about 16! He has the acne for it, anyway.
–
From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion”
the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
Okay, why do you have to drip the water over the sugar to dissolve it? Why can’t you just dump the sugar in the glass, pour in the water, and stir?
Did someone call me?
Oh nope, you want the <i>natural</i> stuff. Well lemme know if you find/ make some. I’ve never tried it!
I recall seeing a reason for the sugar being poured over somewhere in the Absinthe Ring http://www.mcs.net/~mikei/absring/ but damned if I can remember it. Unfortunately I haven’t got the time right no w to dig through it but half the fun in getting answers is reading all the other stuff people have to say about it.
Cave Diem! Carpe Canem!